'We were target of sinister heating oil theft and want to warn others'

'We were target of sinister heating oil theft and want to warn others'

The head of a rural community charity has issued a warning about the rising threat of home heating oil theft after her own organisation was targeted by thieves.

Kate Clifford, director of the Rural Community Network (RCN), came into the charity's offices one morning and discovered the heating was not working.

"We initially thought there must be a leak, but then we could see damage to the tank and knew something was seriously wrong," she said.

The charity had only recently topped up its tank with more than 1,000 litres of oil, which police later confirmed had been stolen.

There have been 600 reports of oil and fuel thefts in Northern Ireland since 2021

Clifford said: "The tank at our offices isn't easily accessible, and somebody must have known we had recently filled up, so the worrying thing was it felt very premediated, and that felt quite sinister.

"We are a charity, so we have to be very careful with our funds, so to lose this was a huge expense to us and then we had to spend money on extra security measures."

The theft at the charity's Cookstown offices took place in 2024, but the charity is now speaking out after new figures revealed there have been 600 reports of oil and fuel thefts in Northern Ireland since 2021.

Home heating oil is a major source of energy for heating and hot water in most households across Northern Ireland.

The Consumer Council for Northern Ireland said it tends to receive more reports of oil theft during an energy crisis, when the price of oil is often driven up by geopolitics and global events.

Police figures indicate that oil thefts in Northern Ireland peaked around Russia's invasion of Ukraine and have been changing ever since.

So far this year, there has been a slight rise in oil and fuels thefts in the first six months of 2026, a period when oil prices were affected by the US-Israel war with Iran.

From January to June, there were 45 oil thefts in Northern Ireland, compared with 59 across the whole of last year.

In March, BBC News NI spoke to a family from Limavady who were forced to leave their home after heating oil thieves struck and turned the property into a "massive biohazard".

Almost two-thirds of homes in Northern Ireland use oil for heating

"In March 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine, 500 litres peaked to around £663 and 900 litres peaked to around £1,182," said Raymond Gormley, head of energy policy at the Consumer Council.

"This time period corresponded with the highest number of oil thefts, with the police figures showing 37 in a single month.

"This year geopolitics in the middle east are once again affecting things and we've had contacts from families impacted by thefts, so it's definitely something people need to be aware of."

Gormley said there are several measures people can take to improve the security of their heating oil.

"Install a lock or alarm on your oil tank and fit hardened flexible casings to any visible fuel hoses so that they are harder to cut.

"Another thing people can do is keep your garden or drive gates closed and securely locked as well as installing security lighting which can warn you or alert a neighbour of an intruder."

In May, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) posted on social media warning the public about the dangers of oil thefts in Mid-Ulster after a number of incidents in the Moneymore area.

In July, the Consumer Council said the average price of 500 litres of home heating oil rose from £346.59 to £445.37 in three weeks – an increase of £98.78 (29%).

The organisation said the increase was a response to the recent escalation in fighting between the US and Iran.

At the start of September the average cost of 500 litres of oil in Northern Ireland had climbed to £491.00.

Almost two-thirds of homes (62.5%) in Northern Ireland use oil for heating, the highest share among UK nations.

In rural areas of the country, reliance on home heating oil rises to about 80%.

The Rural Community Network has installed CCTV at its offices following the oil theft

Clifford believes home heating oil theft points to a broader inequality affecting rural Northern Ireland.

"While urban households often have access to gas networks and a choice of energy suppliers many rural households depend on a single fuel source stored outside their homes," she said.

"This creates a unique vulnerability to crime that disproportionately affects rural residents, particularly older people, low-income households, and farms."

"Rural communities are often at their strongest when neighbours look out for one another, so if you notice suspicious activity, unfamiliar vehicles repeatedly visiting an area, or anyone behaving unusually around fuel tanks, report it to the PSNI."

A PSNI spokesperson said fuel tanks can often be viewed as "easy pickings" for thieves.

"By taking precautions you can protect your oil – lock and disguise your tank, fit a 'level Gauge' with audible alarm and consider installing security lighting and CCTV."